Columbus news

• Storm system that brought tornado to Indiana headed toward Ohio

  24-08-2016 23:30
  
  The storm system that lashed central Indiana this afternoon and spawned tornadoes there is heading toward central Ohio, but is expected to weaken by the time it reaches Ohio, said Kristen Cassady, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
  
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• Former manager of Italian-ice shop pleads guilty to sexual assaults

  24-08-2016 22:58
  
  DELAWARE, Ohio — The former manager of a Powell ice-cream shop agreed today to plead guilty to sexual-abuse charges involving three former underage employees. Danny Kitsos, 53, of Rockdale Drive on the Northeast Side of Columbus, originally faced charges of rape, unlawful sexual conduct, sexual battery and compelling prostitution, among other charges.
  
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• Weather Service: 'Destructive tornado' in central Indiana

  24-08-2016 22:33
  
  At least two tornadoes struck central Indiana on Wednesday, downing trees and destroying a Starbucks.The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning saying a "confirmed large and destructive tornado was about 10 miles east of Kokomo," or about 40 miles north of Indianapolis.Meteorologist Dave Tucek said a tornado moved across the city Wednesday afternoon.Tucek said a tornado moved across the city Wednesday afternoon.Indiana Department of Homeland Security spokesman John Erickson said the a
  
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• Newark man found dead inside house identified

  24-08-2016 22:26
  
  NEWARK, Ohio — A man who was found dead from a gunshot wound when SWAT officers entered his home Tuesday north of Newark has been identified by the Licking County Coroner's Office as Mark Johnson. Johnson was 45, said Mickey Lymon, investigator with the coroner's office. Deputies were sent shortly before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to the 3100 block of Mount Vernon Road, in Newton Township, on a report of a domestic situation and a person with a gun, said Col. Chad Dennis with the Licking County She
  
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• Man sentenced in fatal gang-related shooting

  24-08-2016 22:14
  
  The second of two defendants accused in the fatal shooting of a fellow teen more than three years ago in a South Linden alley was convicted and sentenced to prison on Wednesday. Shyquan D. Washington, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter with gun and gang specifications. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Chris Brown sentenced Washington to 17 years in prison, which was recommended by assistant prosecutors James Lowe and Jason Manning and defense att
  
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• Man gets four years for involvement in deadly drug deal

  24-08-2016 21:45
  
  A man who continues to say he is innocent was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison for his involvement in a deadly robbery in a West Side parking lot. Christopher J. Prater, 23, entered an Alford plea last month to one count of robbery for the incident, which began as a drug deal but ended with a shooting in which one man died and another was critically wounded on June 7, 2015. In an Alford plea, a defendant denies guilt but concedes that enough evidence exists to obtain a conviction and
  
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• FDA: Listeria found in Jeni's production kitchen

  24-08-2016 21:45
  
  Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is once again battling listeria. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found listeria, a human pathogen that can sicken and kill people with weakened immune systems, in the company's Michigan Avenue production kitchen this past winter. In a letter sent to Jeni's CEO John Lowe earlier this month, the FDA said two out of 75 swabs taken in January and February at the kitchen came back positive for listeria.
  
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• Columbus to Forge Ahead as a Smart City

  24-08-2016 21:38
  
  To the surprise of those outside Columbus, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the Ohio capital as the Smart City Challenge winner and presented city officials with $40 million in late June. The competition that asked local governments to envision how their city could fuse transportation systems and technology in new, meaningful ways drew in 78 applications from all over the country - with Columbus being the only finalist city without a dedicated rail service already in existence.
  
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• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams receives warning after FDA says listeria found inside facility

  24-08-2016 21:26
  
  During inspections at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams manufacturing facility earlier this year, The Food and Drug Administration says they found a presence of listeria.According to the letter published online that was sent to Jeni’s, the FDA found traces of listeria on the floor of the prep room and around a floor drain.Listeria is the same dangerous bacteria that twice shut down Jeni's last year.Last April, listeria was found in a pint of Jeni's ice cream in Nebraska.The company recalled
  
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• Former Powell business owner pleads guilty to sexually abusing young employees

  24-08-2016 21:10
  
  The former owner of Rita’s Italian Ice in Powell pleaded guilty to three charges against him for allegedly sexually abusing teenage employees.Danny Kitsos told a Delaware County judge that he engaged in sexual conduct with a girl between the ages of 13-16 and two other victims whom he knew were impaired by alcohol.The rest of the charges against Kitsos were dropped as a part of his guilty plea.Kitsos will be sentenced September 28.Previous CoverageFormer Powell business owner accused of se
  
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• Man sentenced to 17 years in 2013 homicide

  24-08-2016 20:51
  
  The second of two defendants accused in the fatal shooting of a fellow teen more than three years ago in a South Linden alley was convicted and sentenced to prison on Wednesday.
  
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• Despite increases, feds say Obamacare remains affordable for Ohio enrollees

  24-08-2016 20:42
  
  Ohioans insured through the Affordable Care Act will have fewer providers to choose from next year and will pay more for coverage. People insured through the federal exchange in Ohio will see premiums increases of 12.6 percent or higher in 2017 than they paid this year, according to the Ohio Department of Insurance. And the 17 insurance companies that offered coverage on the federal exchange will dwindle to 11 in 2017, according to the department. Those numbers were released Wednesday as Preside
  
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• First day at Columbus City Schools running smoothly

  24-08-2016 20:30
  
  Today is the first day of classes for Columbus City Schools. It's a day when much can go wrong - and historically, often has - until the details concerning more than 50,000 students get sorted out over the coming days. But Superintendent Dan Good said the new school year had gotten off to a good start this year.
  
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• Doubt cast on Brazil's version of U.S. swimmers' Rio incident

  24-08-2016 20:00
  
  The Ryan Lochte story appeared to be over, right along with the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.The gold medal-winning swimmerapologized for an “over-exaggerated” storybroadcast around the world about being robbed at gunpoint after partying in Rio late one night with three of his American teammates. Brazilian police insisted there was no robbery at all.As a result of Brazilian officials insisting the swimmer lied, Lochte has lost several big name sponsors and become the butt of countless
  
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• Yoga Well-Being Moves to 5XNW

  24-08-2016 19:30
  
  “The more times I come, the better I feel,” said Robin just before an active, stretchy yoga class at the new Yoga Well-Being location at 1510 Hess St. in 5XNW. Over her 30-year career teaching yoga and meditation, owner Sipra Pimputkar, has helped thousands of students. “The main thing is to be mindful,” Sipra says. […]
  
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• Canada OKs hijab for Muslim Mounties

  24-08-2016 19:25
  Muslim women who serve in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been given permission to wear a hijab with their uniform. The change was quietly made in January after last fall's election that brought in a new Liberal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Montreal newspaper La Presse reported.
  
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• Ask Lisa: Bleaching hurts flour's ability to make gluten

  24-08-2016 19:25
  Bleaching chemically ages flour, changing its color from ivory to white. The change happens naturally over time; bleaching speeds up the process.
  
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• Retailer Express buys minority stake in T-shirt firm Homage

  24-08-2016 19:18
  
  Express shares plummeted by 20 percent in early morning trading after the Columbus-based retailer reported weak second quarter sales.
  
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• Teen charged in rock-throwing that severely injured Ohio woman gets parole

  24-08-2016 19:00
  
  LEWISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- The first of four young men charged over a rock-throwing episode on a Pennsylvania interstate that caused severe brain trauma to an Ohio teacher has been granted parole.The Daily Item of Sunbury reports Keefer McGee was granted parole Wednesday by a Union County judge after serving 11 1/2 months in jail.Sharon Budd underwent numerous surgeries for her injuries from the July 2014 attack. She remains impaired.Ohio Woman Severely Injured By Rock Dropped On Car Sparks Change F
  
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• Coroner identifies Licking County man who shot self

  24-08-2016 18:07
  
  NEWARK, Ohio — A man who was found dead from a gunshot wound when SWAT officers entered his home Tuesday north of Newark has been identified by the Licking County Coroner's Office as Mark Johnson. Johnson was 45, said Mickey Lymon, investigator with the coroner's office. His autopsy wasn’t completed as of Wednesday morning, she said.
  
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• American University of Afghanistan in Kabul under attack

  24-08-2016 17:20
  
  ​KABUL, Afghanistan - The American University of Afghanistan is under attack, according to multiple accounts.CBS News’ Ahmad Muktar reports from Afghanistan that several American professors are inside, along with possibly hundreds of students. Many appear to have escaped through emergency doors.Witnesses say they heard gunshots, then a blast, and many believe it was the gate blown open, letting the attackers inside.Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer Massoud Hossaini
  
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• Teen pleads guilty to assault in connection with Orange Township shooting

  24-08-2016 17:16
  A Columbus teenager accused of assaulting an Orange Township teen in April pleaded guilty to a charge of felonious assault the day before he was scheduled to stand trial in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.
  
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• World's largest aircraft damaged on 2nd test flight

  24-08-2016 16:48
  
  LONDON -- The developer of the world's largest aircraft says the blimp-shaped airship sustained damage after it made a bumpy landing Wednesday on its second test flight in eastern England.
  Hybrid Air Vehicles said it is trying to figure out what caused the rough landing of the 302-foot Airlander 10 during its 100 minute flight Wednesday in Bedfordshire, north of London."The Airlander experienced a heavy landing and the front of the flight deck has sustained some damage, which is currently being
  
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• Restaurant Review: Pat and Gracie’s

  24-08-2016 16:30
  
  Pat and Gracie’s doesn’t seem like the sort of place to open in a super-sized shopping center. With its deep woodsy tones, it feels more like a Downtown or Short North sort of stop. Instead, it’s pioneering a place for itself in Graceland Shopping Center, near a Michael’s Crafts and across a ginormous parking lot […]
  
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• Weak sales at Express sends stock plummeting

  24-08-2016 16:24
  
  Express shares plummeted by 20 percent in early morning trading after the Columbus-based retailer reported weak second quarter sales.
  
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• Voters Still Skeptic About Columbus City Schools Levy

  24-08-2016 15:52
  
  Columbus voters remain skeptical of the proposed school levy they’ll vote on in November. The 6.92 mil bond request aims to add 325 staff members to the 119 buildings that serve 51,000 students in hopes that foreign-born students, gifted students and students with disabilities and/or chronic home stressors can receive more personalized attention. The Columbus […]
  
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• Cat adopts abandoned baby squirrel monkey from zoo (VIDEO)

  24-08-2016 15:40
  
  MOSCOW -- A Russian cat has adopted a baby squirrel monkey after he was abandoned by his mother at a zoo, comforting the little primate by letting him cling to her back for warmth.Tatyana Antropova, the director of the zoo in the Siberian city of Tyumen, says she took the newborn monkey home three weeks ago after his mother refused to carry him on her back.To Antropova’s surprise, her 16-year-old cat Rosinka accepted the baby, who is called Fyodor. By now, though, the elderly cat is gettin
  
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• Libertarian Gary Johnson makes Ohio ballot as independent

  24-08-2016 15:34
  
  Libertarian Gary Johnson will appear on the Nov. 8 presidential ballot as an independent candidate, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced this morning.
  
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• Ford recalls over 88K vehicles due to stalling problem

  24-08-2016 15:23
  
  DETROIT -- Ford is recalling more than 88,000 cars and SUVs in North America because the engines can stall without warning due to a fuel pump problem.The recall covers certain Ford Taurus and Police Interceptor sedans, Ford Flex wagons, Lincoln MKS sedans and Lincoln MKT SUVs from the 2013 through 2015 model years. All have 3.5-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engines.Ford says the fuel pump control modules can fail, and the engines may not start, or they could stall, leaving drivers without the
  
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• Ohio Politics Now: What’s next in fight over voting in Ohio?

  24-08-2016 15:03
  
  An appeals court panel ruled Ohio can take away "Golden Week." Now Democrats are considering what to do next in the fight.
  
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• Lisa Abraham commentary: Chefs predict fall flavors, dining trends for the new season

  24-08-2016 15:03
  Diners will notice a return to classic preparations, said executive chef Chad Lavely of the Granville Inn, who will have milk-braised pork shanks with mashed potatoes on his menu. Plenty of seasonal foods, he said, will take center stage on the plate - including root vegetables and beans, which have ridden a wave of popularity this year.
  
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• World's deadliest earthquakes since 2000

  24-08-2016 14:52
  A magnitude 6 earthquake shook central Italy early on Wednesday, followed hours later by a magnitude 6.8 temblor in Myanmar.Here is a list of some of the world's deadliest earthquakes since 2000:---April 16, 2016: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Ecuador's central coast near the town of Muisne kills more than 660 people.---April 25, 2015: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal kills more than 8,000 people.---Aug. 3, 2014: More than 700 people die in a magnitude 6.2-quake near Wenping, China.---Sept. 2
  
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• Lawmakers demand answers over soaring cost of EpiPens

  24-08-2016 14:24
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Members of Congress are demanding more information on why the price for lifesaving EpiPens has skyrocketed.EpiPens are injection devices used to ward off potentially fatal allergic reactions, and the price has surged in recent years. A two-dose package cost around $94 nine years ago. The average cost was more than six times that in May, according to the Elsevier Clinical Solutions' Gold Standard Drug Database.
  Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote Mylan, the company that manufa
  
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• Naturally Impactful: Volunteers Make a Difference for CRPD

  24-08-2016 14:00
  
  Columbus is a city that loves to volunteer. Whether that’s through donating time as a reading buddy at Columbus City Schools, being a Certified Tourism Ambassador, offering help through projects at BESA, participating in the Columbus Volunteer Challenge, or helping with the Strawberry Food Truck, thousands of you give your time and expertise to making […]
  
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• Powerful earthquake shakes central Myanmar

  24-08-2016 13:42
  
  YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 shook central Myanmar on Wednesday, knocking glasses off tables and sending people running out of buildings in the country's largest city.The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of Chauk, an area west of the ancient capital of Bagan. It was located fairly far below the Earth's surface at a depth of about 84 kilometers (52 miles), it said. Deep earthquakes gene
  
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• Newark plans new Christmas lights, events with courthouse dark due to renovations

  24-08-2016 13:08
  
  NEWARK, Ohio — As the August days dwindle, you might be wrapping your head around the fact that it’s back-to-school time, rolling your eyes at the Halloween decorations lining store shelves, and pushing to the farthest corner of your mind that this is the year you said you’d get a new snow blower. But Licking County leaders are running full-steam toward the winter holiday season. This morning — 123 days before Christmas (what, weren’t you counting?) — the Lick
  
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• Ohio Politics Now: What's next for the fight over voting in Ohio?

  24-08-2016 13:01
  
  An appeals court panel ruled Ohio can take away "Golden Week." Now Democrats are considering what to do next in the fight.
  
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• Strong earthquake rocks central Italy; kills dozens

  24-08-2016 12:23
  AMATRICE, Italy --A strong earthquake in central Italy reduced three towns to rubble as people slept early Wednesday, with reports that as many as 50 people were killed and hundreds injured as rescue crews raced to dig out survivors.The toll was likely to rise as crews reached homes in more remote hamlets where the scenes were apocalyptic "like Dante's Inferno," according to one witness.WATCH: Live video from Italy
  "The town isn't here anymore," said Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor of Amatrice. "I bel
  
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• Strong earthquake rocks central Italy, at least 38 reported dead

  24-08-2016 12:23
  AMATRICE, Italy --A devastating earthquake rocked central Italy early Wednesday, collapsing homes on top of residents as they slept. At least 38 people were killed in hard-hit towns where rescue crews raced to dig survivors out of the rubble, but the toll was likely to rise as crews reached homes in more remote hamlets."The town isn't here anymore," said Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor of Amatrice.WATCH: Live video from ItalyThe magnitude 6 quake struck at 3:36 a.m. (0136 GMT) and was felt across a br
  
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• Italy earthquake kills at least 159, reduces towns to rubble

  24-08-2016 12:23
  Rescue crews using bulldozers and their bare hands raced to dig out survivors from a strong earthquake that reduced three central Italian towns to rubble Wednesday. The death toll stood at 159, but the number of dead and missing was uncertain given the thousands of vacationers in the area for summer's final days.Residents wakened before dawn by the temblor emerged from their crumbled homes to find what they described as apocalyptic scenes "like Dante's Inferno," with entire blocks of buildings t
  
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• Italy earthquake kills at least 120, reduces towns to rubble

  24-08-2016 12:23
  Rescue crews using bulldozers and their bare hands raced to dig out survivors from a strong earthquake that reduced three central Italian towns to rubble Wednesday. The death toll stood at 120, but the number of dead and missing was uncertain given the thousands of vacationers in the area for summer's final days.Residents wakened before dawn by the temblor emerged from their crumbled homes to find what they described as apocalyptic scenes "like Dante's Inferno," with entire blocks of buildings t
  
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• Italy earthquake described as 'Dante's Inferno' kills dozens

  24-08-2016 12:23
  AMATRICE, Italy --A strong earthquake in central Italy reduced three towns to rubble as people slept early Wednesday, killing at least 73 people and injuring hundreds more as rescue crews raced to dig out survivors with bulldozers and their bare hands.The toll was likely to rise as crews reached homes in more remote hamlets where the scenes were apocalyptic "like Dante's Inferno," according to one witness. Complicating matters was that the area is a popular vacation spot in summer, with populati
  
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• Crypto cases top 250; end of pool season should help

  24-08-2016 12:20
  
  There must be something in the water — still — because local cases of a waterborne diarrheal disease continue to climb, surpassing 250 by Tuesday. That number, which exceeds the cases in Franklin and Delaware counties combined in the past five years, probably will keep rising over the next few weeks before it levels off, health officials say.
  
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• Education Insider: ‘Common Sense’ office role shows how little exists in Ohio charter-school fight

  24-08-2016 11:34
  
  If common sense dictates that government rules shouldn’t contain deadlines already passed, it’s interesting that Gov. John Kasich’s Common Sense Initiative, a relatively new office designed to review all new agency rules on businesses, helped slow down rules for charter-school sponsors.
  
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• Visitor spending set record for Columbus in 2015

  24-08-2016 11:17
  
  Columbus' success at attracting visitors last year led to record spending and city lodging-tax revenue, according to data being announced today by convention and visitors bureau Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission.
  
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• Deal or ripoff? Debate over Columbia Gas’ energy-audit program

  24-08-2016 11:16
  
  Columbia Gas of Ohio wants to remind you to sign up for a discounted energy audit that will help you reduce winter natural-gas bills. At the same time, the utility is asking regulators to approve a six-year extension of a charge that pays for the program. The proposal looks like it is heading toward adoption, although a consumer advocate is asking whether this is a good idea.
  
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• New academic initiatives & program changes for CCS

  24-08-2016 10:25
  
  When students at Columbus City Schools return to class Wednesday morning, there will be a number of new academic initiatives and changes to programs and buildings.The changes and new initiatives include: 1) All 7th graders will have the ability to take career-oriented computer engineering courses to learn computer code and how to design their own computer games for tablets and cell phones.2) Ecole Kenwood French Immersion School and Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy will open with innovative in
  
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• Tree-maintenance responsibility debated

  24-08-2016 08:38
  The city of Delaware's Shade Tree Commission will consider tonight whether to update an existing zoning code about the responsibility of street-tree maintenance.Ted Miller, city parks and natural resources director, said in a memo to the commission that there "has been some debate about the maintenance practice of pruning street tree in the City of ... (more)
  
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• Strong earthquake rocks central Italy, dozens reported dead

  24-08-2016 05:53
  
  AMATRICE, Italy -- The Latest on the earthquake in central Italy (all times local):11:55 a.m.Italy's civil protection agency says at least 37 people have died in the magnitude 6 quake that struck central Italy.The agency, which is coordinating the rescue effort, gave the preliminary toll as rescue teams continued to claw through debris in hard-hit towns.Previously, reports and officials had said at least 23 were dead.---11:15 a.m.Israel's leader says he has offered Italy rescue assistance follow
  
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• Franklinton working to bring new businesses to neighborhood

  24-08-2016 05:49
  In 2014, Atlantic Magazine dubbed Franklinton "the most downtrodden neighborhood in Columbus."New developments including artist space and specialty bars and restaurants are attracting people to a neighborhood people once forgot about.The view of Franklinton is changing and it starts with a building that was once a former shoe factory in the 1900s. It is now home to craftsmen who are becoming business owners.“If you can dream up we can figure out a way to make it,” Chris Cannon said.H
  
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